1. Field
This application relates to the field of electronic games and, more specifically, to the adaptation of games that are based on players' decisions in a manner that provides enjoyment and training.
2. Related Art
Various games are designed to progress, or are scored, based on player's analytical decisions, rather than player's motor skills. Examples of such games include poker and other card games, casino games, backgammon, chess and other strategy games. Such games may have a component of chance, but player's decisions may dictate the long-term outcome. Also, the player's decision may depend not only on the game pieces and status, but also on knowledge of the character, e.g., extrovert, risk averse, etc., of the opponents in the game. In some cases, the player's actions may also depend on the player's knowledge of how the opponents perceive the player.
Casino games such as five, seven, nine card poker, paigow poker, Texas hold'em, etc. require a player to provide continuous input into the game. Poker games are considered by some to be chance-based games, i.e., a player may lose a poker game although the player exhibits skill by making all the correct decisions with respect to the cards dealt to the player. On the other hand, a player may win a poker game even though the player made unwise decisions by virtue of the cards held by the player. For example, consider two players Alice and Bob involved in a Texas hold'em poker game. Alice is dealt a pair of aces (AA) and Bob is dealt a pair of kings (KK). The community cards are 2-3-4-Q-K. Alice bets a thousand chips with AA. Bob calls the thousand chips bet by Alice. Alice played perfectly as AA is over a 4:1 favorite to win, yet lost, some would say because of luck. However, the outcome of the game could have also depend on the character of Alice and Bob, and the way each player perceives the character of the other, as poker is also a “mind” game. For example, if Bob is a guy who mostly plays solid hands while Alice plays loose, since Bob has a solid hand, he may try to draw Alice in by raising the stakes, thus winning more chips on the same hand. Conversely, if Alice believes that Bob is a conservative player, Alice may try to have him fold by raising high, thereby winning with inferior hand. That is, the player's decision making based on the “human” aspect of the game can change the ultimate outcome, i.e., how many chips the player won or lost, regardless of the number of hands the player won or lost.
Introducing a skill component and proper decision making into such games has been suggested in the art. According to one example, a skill component is introduced into the poker game by evaluating each player of the poker game for correct play. A player is said to exhibit correct play if, regardless of the cards held by the player, the player makes the opponents fold. Expected value for each player is calculated based on bets placed by each of the players, probabilities of winning the poker game by the players, and the sum of bets placed by the players. On calculating the expected value for each player, the players are awarded a predefined percentage of the bets placed as an incentive for correct play. The predefined percentage of the bets placed may be awarded to the players as skill chips. The poker game may continue for a predefined time or until one player has all the chips. Since some chips can only be won by skill, and it takes all chips to win or lose the poker game, the outcome of the poker game is dependent on playing skills of the players. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2009-0191934.
The “human” or skill factor is also addressed in U.S. Patent Publication no. 2008-0248851. Describing a televised poker game, it explains that the player's hole cards are typically displayed on the screen, along with a calculated percentage chance that he will win the hand. As subsequent cards are dealt, these percentages are updated. Specifically, to the issue of skill rather than chance, the '851 Application describes that the announcer can then observe, “John bluffed Greg and got Greg to fold a hand that was a three to one favorite to win, what an aggressive move!” or “John took a really ‘bad beat’ in that hand because Greg's ‘miracle card’ got dealt, allowing Greg to win the hand even though John was a 20:1 favorite to win.”
Such viewing or playing can be enhanced by providing additional statistical information regarding the strength of a player's cards and a player's strategy. The concept of poker chance and skill scores may be used by formulas which provide a quantitative index as to how lucky or skillful a player has been over a given period of time. The '851 Application explains that there are many intuitive and practical advantages to calculating the luck and skill scores. First, the luck and skill scores are calculated using information which is already displayed to the poker television viewer: percentage chance of winning, pot size, and amount each player is putting in the pot. Second, the scores give mathematical validity to the intuitive concept that a skilled poker player will “get his money in with the best of it”; in other words, increase the pot size when he is statistically favored to win. When a player holding the worse hand bluffs another player out of a pot, this is reflected positively in the bluffer's skill score and negatively in the loser's skill score. When a player “sucks out” on the river, this is reflected positively in his luck score and negatively in his opponent's luck score. A final advantage to calculating luck and skill scores in this way is that knowledge of the board cards that would have been dealt had players stayed in the hand until showdown is not required. If a player folds before the flop, for example, whether or not he would have had the best hand on the river does not affect his luck or skill scores.
One major limitation of the above approaches is that they mostly do not reflect how poker is really played. A large part of poker (and other similar games) is anticipating how opponents react to a player's moves. A player's actions in poker depend on how the player views the character of his opponents, and on how the opponents view the player. These variables have nothing to do with the cards themselves, but are rather acquired “people reading” skills. The more a player knows how to “read” his opponents, the more the player can learn to take advantage of this skill. Conversely, the more a player knows how to make opponents “read” him wrongly, the more the player can take advantage of that skill.
Players today are exposed to various methods of plays, as shown in different TV programs and books, and there are various “common wisdoms” related to poker. For example, when a UTG (Under The Gun, i.e., the player who has to move first after cards are dealt) player raises 3× and the player after him raises 4×, it indicates the second raiser has a monster hand. Most good players learn the statistics behind poker relatively early. The poker experts of today are skillful in reading the scenarios created at the table and manipulating their opponents to make mistakes, such as folding stronger hands or betting/calling weaker hands. Most poker players are eager to learn these skills. These skills cannot be taught purely by probability, statistical algorithms, etc., particularly in the case of multi-player, no limit game.
With the growing popularity of smartphones, such as iPhone, Android-based phones, etc., many games, including poker games, are available for download. One common thread of successful games, such as Angry Birds, Poker by Zynga, etc., is that users don't have to dedicate much time and thinking to play the game. The player can be interrupted by phone call, SMS message, email, etc., at any time, without adverse effect for the user. For example, in Poker by Zynga, the user can purchase chips that may last for a week or a month of gaming, at very low, almost symbolic, price. Consequently, losing a hand at the game is of no material consequences to the user. Therefore, it is immaterial that the user does not know the other players at the table and has spent no time learning their character. The user can join a table at any time, play a few hands, and leave the table upon an interruption, with the difference between winning and losing being inconsequential. While such plays are fun, for those players who would like to take the game more seriously and play at higher level and at higher stakes, learning how to play a hand properly, taking the other players' character into account, can be very important. However, the problem is that most users of games on mobile devices would prefer not to spend too much time studying opponents, and require game application that allows for interruptions without adverse effect.